Motor operated drill



Jan. l0, 1956 R. F. HALE 2,730,332

MOTOR OPERATED DRILL Filed May 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheei'. l 5

220 T22 ey.

Jan. 10, 1956 R. F. HALE MOTOR OPERATED DRILL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1955 ...inn-III lllll United States Patent O MOTOR OPERATED DRILL Ralph F. Hale, Claremont, N. H., assignor to Joy lVIanufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 8, 1953, Serial No. 353,822

24 Claims. (Cl. Z55-45) This invention relates to a motor operated drill and more particularly to improved tension control means for the power conductors for the drilling motor whereby such conductors are automatically maintained under the desired predetermined tension as the drilling tool is moved back and forth along its guide.

The present invention relates to improvements over the drill disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 341,684, filed March 11, 1953. In the drill of this copending application the flexible power conductors or fluid hoses are arranged in a novel manner on the drill guide frame but it has been found, under certain conditions, the desired tension of the fluid conductor hoses was not consistently obtained. The present invention contemplates improvements over the earlier application by-the provision of a novel tensioning mechanism for the liuid conductor hoses of such a drill for automatically maintaining the hoses under the desired predetermined tension as the drilling tool is fed forwardly along its guide or retracted from the work thereby to prevent entanglement and possible breakage of or other damage to the hoses.

Au object of this invention is to provide an improved motor driven drill. Another object is to provide an improved drill having an improved arrangement of the flexible power conductors for the drilling motor. Yet another object is to provide improved tension control means for automatically maintaining the fluid conductor hoses for the iiuid operated drilling motor under the desired predetermined tension irrespective of the position of the drilling tool along its guide. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear. v

ln the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a motor driven drill equipped with a-hose tensioning mechanism constructed in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention, certain parts of the drill being broken away and others omitted to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the drill shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view in central longitudinal vertical section, with parts snown in full, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the planes of line 4 4 of Fig. 3, showing details of the improved tensioning mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on jline 5 5 of Fig. 2, showing the guide sheave mechamsm. l v

Pig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken online 6 6 of Fig. l, showing one of the adjustable hose couplings or connectors. v

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 4, showing details of. the adjusting device between the sprocket and drum.

ICC

As disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 341,684 above referred to, the motor operated drill generally comprises an elongated guide frame 1 pivotally mounted at 2 on a yoke frame 3, the latter carried by a suitable support 4. Guided for movement longitudinally back and forth along the guide frame is a motor operated means herein a drilling tool generally designated 5. Conventional fluid jacks 6 serve to tilt the guide frame upon its pivotal mounting on the yoke frame and to hold the guide frame in its adjusted position. The guide frame has projecting end frame portions or supports 7 and 8 which support parallel longitudinally extending guide rods 9 and the drilling tool has a cross frame 10 mounted on' and slidingly guided by these parallel rods. This cross frame 10 carries a housing 11 by which a drilling motor 12, herein desirably a conventional uid motor, is carried and this motor serves to rotate a conventional auger drill steel 13 which carries a usual drill bit.

Ar reversible feed motor 13, likewise desirably a conventional fluid motor, is mounted on a gear housing 14 carried beneath the guide frame and this motor is operative to drive through reduction gearing contained in the housing 14 a chain sprocket 15 (Fig. 3) which engages a feed chain 16. This feed chain is guided relative to the drive sprocket 15 by parallel idler sprockets 17 and '1S and the lower run of this chain extends longitudinally rearwardly about a rearguide `sprocket 19 journaled on the rearward portion of the guide frame and forwardly around a front guide roll 2t) journaled on the forward portion of the guide frame. The feed chain extends for.- wardly and rearwardly about the guide sprocket and guide roll and is attached at its ends respectively at 21 and 22 to the opposite ends of the housing 11 of the drilling tool. A transverse horizontal shaft 23 is suitably secured to the guide frame and carries a bearing 24 on which the rear chain guide sprocket 19 is journaled (Fig. 4). It will thus be seen that the drilling tool may be fed back and forth along the parallel guide rods of the guide frame through the chain sprocket connections driven by the reversiblefeed motor 13.

In this improved construction, uid under pressure may be conducted to and fluid may be exhausted from the drilling motor 12 through flexible hoses 26 and 27 which extend along the outer sides of the yoke frame 3 and are secured as by clamps 28 to the side arms of the yoke frame (Fig. 2) and these hoses are connected to adjustable hose couplings or connectors 29 secured'as by bolt and slot connections 30 to the guide frame. Also connected to these couplings or connectors are supply and exhaust hoses 31 and 32 which extend longitudinally rearwardly along the guide frame beneath the parallel guide rods 9 and these hoses extend in loops or bights 33 and are connected at 34 and 35 to the opposite sides of the fluid motor 12 of the drilling tool.

The rear frame portion or support 7 of the guide frame 1 has a rearward projection 36 which supports a transverse horizontal shaft 37, parallel to the shaft 23, and journalled on a bearing 38 supported by the shaft 37 is a cable drum 39 on which a flexible wire cable or rope 40 is wound. A sprocket 41 secured to the hub of the sprocket 19 (Fig. 4) drives an endless chain 42 which engages and drives a chain sprocket 43 adjustably secured to the drum 39. The chain and sprocket connection 41, 42, 43 provides a two to one speed reduction between the sprocket 19 and the cable drum 39 so that the drum may rotate to pay out or wind in the cable 40 at a speed substantially one half of the feeding or moving speed of the drilling tool,

for a purpose to be later referred to. The drum 39 has a series of apertures 44 engageable by a screw 45 on the sprocket 43 whereby the sprocket and drum may have relative angular adjustment likewise for a purpose to be later described. This screw 45 may also serve as a shear pin for preventing overloading of the parts.

A sheave mechanism includes sliding frame or support 46 which slidingly engages at 47 the parallel bottom portions 48 of the guide frame and an upper cross member 49 has downwardly bent end portions 50 which underlie and slidingly engagey the parallel guide rods 9 for maintaining the sliding support in position on its guide. This sliding frame has an upstanding shaft S1 on which coaxial relatively rotatable guide sheaves 52 and 53 are journaled, and the loops or bights 33 of the hoses 31 and 32 pass around and are guided by these sheaves in the manner shown. The cable or rope 40 wound on the drum 39 has its free end attached at 54 to the sliding frame d6.

By adjusting the chain sprocket 43 angularly relative to the cable drum 39 or by adjusting the sliding hose couplings or connectors 29 longitudinally relative to the guide frame, a predetermined initial setting of the tension of the uid conducting hoses 31 and 32 may be obtained and it is desirable that the uid conducting hoses have a little initial slack so that too great a tautness is prevented.

Evidently, if an electric drilling motor were employed instead of the uid motor as disclosed, but a single flexible power conductor element or electric wire cable would lead to the electric motor, and in such event, the sheave mechanism would then include but a single sheave about which the loop or bight portion of the single conductor element or cable would pass.

The general mode of operation of the improved hose tensioning mechanism will be clearly apparent from the description given. As the drilling tool 5 is fed forwardly by the feed motor 13 along the parallel guideA rods 9 of the guide frame 1, the cable drum 39 is driven by the rear chain sprocket 19 at one half the feeding speed of the drilling tool, thereby paying out the cable 40 so that the sheave mechanism may be pulled along its guideways on the guide frame by the looped iiexible hoses 31 and 32 which pass about the coaxial sheaves 52 and 53 of the sheave mechanism. Due to the double strand arrangement of the hoses 31 and 32 the latter are permitted to move forwardly twice the distance of movement of the sheave mechanism so that as the drilling tool is advanced the hoses are payed out at the same speed as the drilling tool thereby to maintain the hoses at the desired predetermined tension. When the feed motor 13 is reversed to effect retraction of the drilling tool along the guide frame thesprocket 19 is driven in the reverse direction thereby driving the cable drum 39 in a direction to wind in the cable 40, so as to pull the sheave mechanism rearwardly along its guides as the cable is wound in by the drum at a speed one half of the rearward moving speed of the drilling tool, so that during this operation also the hoses 31 and 32. which pass around the coaxial guide sheaves 52 and 53 are maintained under the desired predetermined tension. Thus as the drilling tool moves back and forth along the parallel guide rods of the guide frame the looped or bight portions of the hoses 31 and 32 are prevented from sagging down and becoming entangled, and the possibility of the hoses becoming too taut or too slack is eliminated. Other modes of use and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form whichthe invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims. l

What I claim as new and Patent is:

l. In combination, a motor movable rectilinearly back and forth along a predetermined longitudinal path, means for guiding said motor for movement along said path, a exible power conductor element leading to said motor for supplying power mediumthereto and having a loop desire to secure by Letters portion providing sufficient slack to permit such back and forth movement of said motor along said path, and a reversible power operated tension control mechanism on said guiding means and relative to which said motor has rectilinear movement, said control mechanism comprising a control element engaging said loop portion of said conductor element for maintaining the latter under the desired predetermined tension irrespective of the direction of movement and the position of said motor along its path, said control element acting on said loop portion of said conductor element to draw in or pay out the same by power as said motor moves along its path, and means for guiding said control element for movement back and forth relative to said motor guiding means along a path in parallelism with the direction of rectilinear movement of said motor along its path.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said movable control element of said tension control mechanism provides a guide about which said loop 'portion of said conductor element passes and reversible power operated means providing for forward movement of 'said control element along its path relative to said guiding means as said motor is advanced and for 'retracting said control along its path relative to said guiding means as said motor is moved rearwardly.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein a support for said control element is provided which is movable rectilinearly relative to said guiding means along the same guideway as that which guides said motor.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means providing for forward movement of and for retracting said control element comprises a reversible power operated cable drum and a cable wound on said drum and attached to said movable guide support, said cable being wound in or payed out by power depending upon the direction of movement of said motor along its path, and means is provided for driving said drum in either of opposite directions.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein means is provided for moving said motor back and forth along said longitudinal path and said driving means for said drum includes means coordinated with said moving means for driving said drum in either direction whereby whenever said moving means is reversed the direction of drum rotation is reversed.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means providing for forward movement of and for ref tracting said control element embodies reversible power operated means for effecting movement of rsaid control element at a speed one-half of the moving speed of said motor whereby said conductor element due to its looped double strand arrangement is payed out or wound at the same speed as said moving speed of said motor.

7. In combination, a guide providing a guideway, a motor movable rectilinearly back and forth along the guideway Aof said guide, a flexible power conductor element attached to said guide and leading to said motor for supplying power medium thereto, said power conductor element having a loop portion between its point of attachment with said guide and said motor for providing suflicient slack to provide for such back and forth movement of said motor along said guide, and a reversible power operated tension control mechanism on said guide and relative to which said motor has rectilinear movement, said control mechanism including a control Velement engaging said loop portion of said conductor element for automatically maintaining the latter under the desired predetermined tension irrespective of the direction of movement and the position of said motor along the guideway of said guide, and reversible driving means for said control element providing for movement of the latter forwardly along said guide during forward feedand for moving'said control element rearwardly along said guide during reverse feed.

8. In combination, a guide providing a guideway, a

motor movable rectilinearly back and forth along the guideway of said guide, a exible power conductor element attached to said guide and leading to said motor for supplying power medium thereto, said power conductor element having a loop portion between its point of attachment with said guide and said motor for affording sufficient slack to provide for such back and forth movements of said motor along said guide, and a tension control mechanism on said guide and relativerto which said motor has rectilinear movement, said control mechanism engaging said loop portion of said conductor element for automatically maintaining the latter under the desired predetermined tension irrespective of the position of said motor along the guideway of said guide, said control mechanism including a movable guide about which said loop portion of said conductor element passes and means providing for forward movement of said movable guide as said motor is moved forwardly and for retracting said movable guide when said motor is moved rearwardiy.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein means is provided for moving said motor back and forth along the guideway of said guide and said means provid ing for forward movement of said movable guide as said motor is fed forwardly and for retracting said movable guide is coordinated with said moving means.

l0. A combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein said moving means for said motor includes an element movable relative to said motor and to said guiding means for actuating said movement-providing-means for said movable guide.

11. ln combination, a guide frame providing a guideway, supporting means therefor, a motor movable back and forth along the guideway of said guide frame, means for feeding said motor back and forth along the guideway of said guide frame, a flexible power conductor element extending from said supporting means to said motor and attached to said guide, said conductor element having a exible loop portion extending between its point of attachment with said guide and its point of connection with said motor, and a tension control mechanism on said guide frame and relative to which said motor is movable back and forth, said control mechanism cornprising a sheave mechanism movable longitudinally along said guide frame during movement of said motor and comprising a rotary guide sheave about which said loop portion of said conductor element passes, and means coordinated with said feeding means providing for forward movement of said guide sheave as said motor is fed forwardly and for retracting said guide sheave as said motor is moved rearwardly.

l2. A combination as set forth in claim ll wherein said coordinated means comprises a cable drum having a cable wound thereon and journaled on said guide frame and driven by an element of said feeding means for paying out said cable as said motor is fed forwardly and for winding in said cable as said motor is moved rearwardly.

13. A combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said sheave mechanism includes a guide movable along said guide frame and on which said rotary guide sheave is journaled and to which one end of said cable is attached.

14. ln combination, a power operated means movable rectilinearly back and forth along a predetermined longitudinal path, means providing an elongated guideway for said power operated means along which the latter is movable, means for feeding said power operated means along its path relative to said guideway, power conducting means for said power operated means including a exible power conductor element connected at one end to said guideway and at its opposite end to said power operated means and extending in a loop with its end portions in parallelism with the path of movement of said power operated means, a guide member about which said loop passes and guided for rectilinear movement back and forth along said guideway, and mechanism coordinated with said feeding means for moving said guide member along said guideway providing means during guided movement of said power op-1 said coordinated mechanism includes means for movingsaid guide member along said guideway-providingmeans at a speed one-half the speed of movement of said power operated means to pay out said conductor element or to take the same in at the same speed as the speed of movement of said power operated means.

16. A combination as set forth in claim 14 wherein said feeding means includes a flexible feeding element operatively connected to said power operated means and a rotary guide for said feeding element, and said coordinated mechanism includes a cable drum having a cable wound thereon and driven by said rotary guide, said cable having connection with said movable guide member.

17. A combination as set forth in claim 16 wherein said movable guide member comprises a rotary sheave about which said loop of said exible conductor element passes.

18. A combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein driving means for said drum is provided including a driving element coaxial with and adjustably secured to said drum and means providing for relative angular adjustment of said driving element and said drum about the drum axis to vary the initial tensioning of said conductor element.

19. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein means is provided for adjusting the point of attachment of said looped conductor element relative to said guide to vary the initial tension of said conductor element.

20. In combination, a motor movable rectilinearly back and forth along a longitudinal path within predetermined limits, a flexible power conductor element leading to said motor for supplying power medium theretoV and having a loop portion providing sufficient slack to permit such back and forth movement of said motor, and a vreversible tension control mechanism comprising a control element engaging said loop portion of said conductor element for maintaining the latter under the desired predetermined tension irrespective of the direction of movement and the position of said motor along its path, said tension control mechanism including a reversible power operated driving means for said control element including 4a driving element which remains stationary as regardsbodily movement during such rectilinear movement of said motor, said driving means providing for movement of said control element in one direction during forward feed of said motor and moving said control element in the opposite direction during reverse feed of said motor.

21. In combination, a motor movable rectilinearly back and forth along a longitudinal path within predetermined limits, a flexible power conductor element leading to said motor for supplying power medium thereto and having a loop portion providing sufficient slack to permit such back and forth movement of said motor, and a reversible tension control mechanism comprising a control element engaging said loop portion of said conductor element for maintaining the latter under the desired predetermined tension irrespective of the position of said motor along its path, said control element providing a guide about which said loop portion of said conductor element passes and reversible power operated means providing for forward movement of said control element during forward feed of said motor and for retracting said control element during reverse feed of said motor, said control element moving either forwardly or rearwardly as aforesaid in a direction in parallelism with said path of movement of said motor, said motor having relative rectilinear movement during either direction of movement of said control element.

22. In combination, a motor movable rectilinearly back and forth along a predetermined longitudinal path, means for guiding said motor for movement along said path,

agradsa means for feeding said motor along the guideway of, said guiding means, a exible power conductor element leading to Said motor for supplying power medium thereto and having a loop portion providing suficient slack to permit such back and forth movements of said motor along said path, and a tension control mechanism on said guiding means and relative to which said motor has rectilinear movement, said control mechanism engaging said loop` portion of said conductor element for maintaining the latter under the desired predetermined tension irrespective of the position of said motor along said path, and means driven by an element of `said feeding means for actuating said tension control mechanism.

23. In combination, motor means, means for guiding said motor means along a fixed rectilinear path within predetermined limits, reversible means, for feeding said motor meansback and forth along said guiding means, exible power supply means extending from an extraneous source to said motor means, and reversible tension control means coordinated with said feeding means including a control element engaging said exible supply means for maintaining the latter under proper tension as said motor means moves back and forth as aforesaid, said tension control means automatically reversing upon reversal of saidfeeding means and said control element moving along a rectilinear path relative to said guiding means in parallelism with said rectilinear path of said motor means.

24. In combination, motor means, means for guiding said motor means along a fixed rectilinear path within predeterminedlimits, reversible means for feeding said motor means back and forth along said guiding means, flexible power supply means extending from an extraneous source to said motor means, and reversible tension control means deriving its power from said feeding means and including a control element engaging said exible supply means for maintaining the latter under proper tension as said motor means moves back and forth as aforesaid, said tension control means operating in synchronism with'said feeding means during either direction of feed and said control element moving along a rectilinear path relative to Said guiding means in parallelism with said rectilinear path of said motor means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

